Category: KCKCC

KCKCC to play host to Cowley in baseball game this afternoon

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Easily over its final pre-Jayhawk Conference hurdle Tuesday, the Blue Devils open the conference season Thursday, playing host to the team to beat.

Ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA DI rankings and the defending Jayhawk East champion, Cowley College (10-4) comes to KCKCC for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

The Blue Devils improved their non-conference record to 10-3 with a 19-1 trouncing of State Fair in Sedalia Tuesday.

The Blue Devils pounded out 15 hits in support of freshman William Simmons’ strong pitching debut. A southpaw from Olathe West, Simmons allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings. He struck out three, walked one before Parker Weddle and Chase Terrell each pitched an inning of hitless relief.

Sophomore Jose Sosa led the KCKCC offensively, rapping out four hits and driving in five runs, four on a grand slam home run that capped a 9-run ninth inning.

Trey Hoover and Griffin Everitt also homered, Palmer Hutchinson singled and doubled, Zayne Morrow singled twice and Tyler Henry doubled in an attack that featured six extra base hits.

State Fair took a 1-0 lead in the first and only trailed 3-1 after six innings.

A double by Hutchinson and a single by Morrow tied the game in the second and the Blue Devils went ahead 3-1 in the fifth on Eduardo Acosta’s two-out, two-run single.

The Blue Devils put the game out of reach with five runs in the seventh. Henry doubled in the first two, Sosa singled in a third and Hoover belted a 2-run homer.

Seth Kenagy singled and Everitt homered in the eighth.

Sosa doubled to start the 9-run ninth and finished it with his grand slam. The Blue Devils also benefited from hits by Raymond Paniagua, Hutchinson and Kade Chastain, two walks and two hit batsmen.

Blue Devils overcome 12-5 deficit to sweep State Fair

KCKCC sophomore Alaina Howe was all smiles as she was mobbed by happy teammates after her double to the fence in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Blue Devils a 14-13 win over State Fair Tuesday. KCKCC also won the second game 9-1. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

If Lana Ross learned anything about her 2020 Kansas City Kansas Community College softball team Tuesday, it was that the Blue Devils have a lot of fight.

Trailing State Fair 12-5 after five innings, the Blue Devils rallied in both the seventh and eighth innings for a wild 14-13 opening game and then posted a 9-1 5-inning win in the night cap.

The wins boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 5-1 heading into some early season showdowns. At Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, Thursday, KCKCC will play host to No. 9 ranked Kirkwood Friday at 1 and 3 p.m. and then goes to Northeast Oklahoma A&M in Miami on Sunday.

The Blue Devils won Tuesday’s 14-13 on three straight doubles with none out in the eighth inning. State Fair had taken a 13-12 lead in the top of the inning on a two-out fly ball that was inches fair but Hannah Redick and Alexis Rymer rapped doubles to left to tie the game and Alaina Howe won it with a high drive to the fence in center field.

Down 12-9 in the seventh, the Blue Devils pulled even on Bradi Basler’s ground ball to left field that scored two runs. Singles by Leah Seichepine, Devin Purcell and Abby Henson set up the game-tying hit. KCKCC started its comeback from the 12-5 deficit with four runs in the sixth, the big blow a bases-clearing double by Redick.

Redick finished the day with a solo home run in the fifth, two doubles, a single and five runs-batted-in. Purcell and Leah Seichepine also had four hits and Henson, Basler, Rymer and Howe two each and Jennica Messer delivered a double that ignited the four-run sixth.

The pitching winner in both games, Basler (3-1) got the win in the opener with two innings of one run, one hit relief. Shay Grosstephan worked the first 5.1 innings, giving up nine runs on 14 hits. Freshman Nerida Elson finished the 4-run sixth inning, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks.

The Blue Devils made the nightcap easy for Basler, getting two-run home runs from Rymer and Grosstephan and scoring five runs in the first inning on the way to the 9-1 win.

Grosstephan and Howe each doubled in a pair of runs in the first inning; Rymer homered after a Redick single in the third; and Grosstephan followed a walk with a 2-run shot in the fourth. Rymer finished with three hits and three RBI; Purcell and Henson each singled and doubled; and Grosstephan drove in four.

Basler faced just 21 hitters in five innings, allowing one run on four hits. She struck out seven and walked two. The Blue Devils were errorless in fielding in both wins.

“I wasn’t really happy about how we gave up runs in the first game but very pleased the way we battled back in the first game and then settled down in the second,” Ross said.

No. 2 ranked Labette ends Lady Blue Devils’ season, 79-68

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s reign as NJCAA Division II national women’s basketball champion came to an end Tuesday night but not without a whale of a fight against the team ranked No. 2 in the nation.

Labette, the Jayhawk Conference champion and No. 1 regional seed, pulled away in the closing minutes for a 79-68 win in Parsons to advance to the Region VI championship game against Johnson County at the Hutchinson Sports Arena Friday night.

It was the third win by the Cardinals (24-4) over the Lady Blue Devils, who ended the season with a 25-7 record. The 25 wins are the seventh most in a single season and a remarkable record considering only two players returned from last year’s national championship team and only one of them for a half-season.

Labette’s accurate shooting and rebounding proved to be the difference Tuesday. The Cardinals knocked down 31-of-54 shots for 57.4 percent in winning their seventh straight game. The Blue Devils were limited to 20-of-53 for 37.7 percent and out-rebounded 35-22.

But even then the Blue Devils trailed only 63-60 with six minutes to go and had a good look at a tying 3-point shot that misfired and Labette pulled away with an 8-0 run.

“Very proud of our girls,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “They played extremely hard and pushed Labette to the very end. We had a few opportunities to hang our heads and let the game get away but we didn’t. We made Labette earn the victory so I can certainly go home a proud coach.”

Freshman Aliyah Myers had an outstanding night to lead the Blue Devils, scoring a game-high 25 points that included five 3-pointers, four rebounds and three steals.

“Aliyah Myers was fantastic tonight,” McKinstry said. “She was extremely aggressive and made some huge shots for us.

“Brodi Byrd and Caroline Hoppock did a great job playing extended minutes and multiple positions and I’ve never seen more teams game plan for one specific person than they do for Kamryn Estell. She’s a matchup nightmare for everyone and her presence opens things up for her teammates.”

Hoppock had 13 points and Byrd 11 in their final games while Estell was limited to just six shots, hitting four for 10 points along with four rebounds and three assists. Jada Mayberry with seven points was the only other Blue Devil with a field goal.

KCKCC actually shot better from 3-point than the field, converting 13-of-32 for 40.6 percent. In addition to Myers’ five treys, Byrd had three for a KCKCC career record of 132 while Hoppock and Myers each made two and Estell one.

Labette was led by the duo of 6-foot Angel Williams, who had 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting, and 5-4 Denijsha Wilson, who had 19 points including 8-of-10 free throws. Both teams dominated their own boards. The Blue Devils were credited with only three offensive rebounds; Labette five.

Elsewhere, No. 7 ranked Johnson County earned the other spot regional final with an 86-75 win at No. 13 Highland.